The second phase of Indian agriculture has been geared towards providing adequate nutrition. The target segment is India’s burgeoning population, especially those below the poverty line. Manufacturing of seeds has grown manifold. The seed industry in India sits proudly at sixth place globally. There is tremendous scope for seed manufacturing in India as this holds the key to improving productivity of agriculture. The seed industry is expected to grow at a staggering pace over the next few years. By the year 2014, India’s global ranking is estimated to go up to third or fourth place.

Some reasons for continued growth include increased market valuation of hybrid cotton due to tolerance of herbicides. Seeds of single cross maize will be adapted more and farmers will have access to private pollinated elements. These include essentials such as soybean, rice and wheat. The replacement rates for seeds are slated to see further improvement. There will be several innovations in biotechnology as well which will drive the rapid growth.

India possesses 46 kinds of soils along with abundant arable land and multiple climatic zones. The adoption of new technologies is a continuous process as can be seen in the increased usage of BT cotton types. Replacement rates of seeds are improving and there has also been increased public spending on research, new technology and development. Systems of extension are being revamped in order to enlighten farmers better to understand better modes of cultivation. Rising incomes have also contributed to increased demand for seeds and vegetables.

Increased security by means of the PPV & FR Act has contributed immensely towards bringing in the private sector. This has led to increased production and newer export markets all across the world. Some of these include Nigeria, Ghana, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia. There has also been adequate support from the government. This surely promises to widen the scope of seed manufacturing in times to come. Support from the government in the form fiscal incentives, tax exemptions, credit on soft terms, nil duty on import of R&D machines have paved the way for fuelling the growth of seed manufacturing.